Mu-Ziq / Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devastation Technique

Planet Mu

Mike Paradinas’ place in musical history is secure. Under the µ-Ziq moniker, the Planet Mu founder and head is a key innovator who to brought electronic music to a wider audience in the ’90s, pushing boundaries and rattling heads with a consistent stream of releases, each exploring new realms of consciousness.  It’s been four years since the whirlwind of chaos that was Bilious Paths, and Paradinas’s new album is a more reflective body of work, though no less revelatory. Introspective and melancholic, µ-Ziq revisits his roots in the early ’90s ambient techno scene pioneered by, among others, The Black Dog, Aphex Twin, and himself.  Among these 17 tracks of off-key melodies, nauseous harmonies, and woozy beats can be found gems such as the beautiful “Strawberry Fields Hotel” in which a lone bassline strikes out a refrain of unexpected simplicity while bees swarm overhead around a fig tree. Or “Drum Light,” where a five-part melody gives way to a startling noise assault. “Acid Steak Night,” a collaboration with labelmate The Doubtful Guest, is a more straightforward techno number with 303 basslines duking it out with spooky melodic synth lines.  A melodic tour de force, Duntisbourne Abbots Soulmate Devastation Technique is a welcome return to one of the most vital artists in music today.

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